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The Importance of Work-Life Balance with Depression

Fashion entrepreneur Claire Mazur talks about dealing with depression through running, work-life balance, and meditating, and speaks out on how to break down stigma.

Claire Mazur, 34, is co-founder Of a Kind, an online business that sells pieces from emerging fashion designers and tells the designers’ backstories. She has been listed in Forbes’ “30 under 30” and Fashionista’s “50 Most Influential People in New York Fashion.” ­She speaks of her experiences with depression so that others don’t feel alone.

What inspired you to start a fashion retail business while still in your 20s?

In 2010 I started Of a Kind with one of my close friends, Erica Cerulo. I had a background in fashion and art and was working in the art world. Erica was the editor of a men’s magazine. We both had a lot of interest in fashion and, with the Internet, saw an opportunity for an intersection between content and commerce.

Depression can be isolating and lonely, but by talking about it, I hope to make it a little less so. It’s not a rare thing and you’re not alone. I wish when I was [first] going through it, people talked about it more.

Have you experienced any backlash?

No, but I have gotten a lot of positive feedback. People who have struggled with depression have told me that they appreciate when people are honest about it. People have also told me how much exercise has helped them manage their depression. To hear that has been very rewarding.

What are your most challenging symptoms?

Intense isolation and loneliness. I feel like I’m not grounded, and it’s accompanied by anxiety. It’s definitely something I still deal with regularly.

How do you manage your mental health in your work life now?

I exercise almost every single day. I run for a half-hour minimum, three to six miles a day. It’s really important for me to run first thing in the morning. Often the morning is when I’m feeling the lowest. Running doesn’t always solve the depression, but it mitigates the symptoms. If I wait until after work to exercise, I’m hungry or I’m too tired. So I do it in the morning before anything else comes up or anybody starts putting meetings on my calendar.

What other strategies help you maintain wellness?

Talk therapy is really important. Meditation helps, too, even it’s just for five minutes a day. I like a free app called InsightTimer that has guided meditations of different lengths, so I can just grab one that is five or ten minutes long.

How does your experience with mental health challenges influence how you deal with your employees?

My experiences with depression are something I talk openly about, and if someone on our team is struggling, I let them know I’m available and open to talking about it with them if they want. [Erica and I] try to set a good example about finding time to exercise and eat healthy and find some amount of [work-life] balance. We try to set reasonable expectations about working hours and taking time off, too.

Any advice for entrepreneurs hoping to start or nurture a business?

One of the most important and overlooked thing is asking for help. You can’t do it on your own; you have to rely on so many other people.

What have you learned about depression?

First, I learned that there’s a strong connection between body and mind. Sleep, eating well, and exercise all play a huge part of making sure you’re taking care of yourself. Second, depression is not something that can be taken care of by ignoring it or feeling ashamed about it. And feeling ashamed about it just makes it worse.

1 COMMENT

Robin

Thank you for asking me to comment. I was diagnosed with severe depression at the age of seventeen, I have a family history of it. Nobody noticed the Bipolar part until I had my son. He now has major depression also. much to my sadness, he will not take medication or go to a therapist. I’m powerless because he is 20. I liked the article, it was uplifting, but out of the reach of some of us especially those of us who are older and those who aren’t that high functioning. The longest length of any job I had was 9 months, but it was too stressful ad I had a nervous breakdown. My therapist guided me to the fact that volunteer work would be my best bet. It worked. I don’t do much, 3-6 hours a week, but it gets me out of the house. I too like the interviewee have spent almost 35 years pretty much isolated. It is very lonely. I appreciate the fact that she does not hide her diagnosis. She is truly in a position to start tearing down the stigma we all go through. I have the support of my church and friends, some have the same diagnosis, most do not, but I have still found on the whole that people don’t get it. Some of course think I’m crazy, some think I fake it to get out of having a job, My city has very few mental health resources. We are very close to the city of St. Louis, however there are many of us who are mentally ill that don’t have the income to buy a car or seek out the best support system This is just one article, so I would enjoy receiving a copy of Esperanza. As a consumer and someone who lives with mental illness. I would definitely keep with the advocation of medication AND therapy plus group therapy if they have it available. I no longer have access but it helped me tremendously, especially because I could just listen if I wanted to. Also maybe there aren’t many of us that read the magazine , but it would be nice to have an article discussing those of us who may be physically and financially challenged and also those of us who are fairly smart. but still can’t go to college to learn new skills and are home most of the time. Like I said I’m pretty unique in my situation, but I don’t think too unique. Bet you didn’t expect all this when you asked me to comment!! thank you for the forum.

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HEALTHY HABITS

Most of us don’t default to healthy habits. It takes planning and effort, and sometimes a surge of self-discipline, to eat right, exercise, get the sleep we need, and stay on top of work and life tasks. Establishing new habits, let alone purging bad ones, can require major effort, especially if we are also struggling with depression or anxiety. What are some good habits that you've formed and how did you build them?